


Amends

by Julie_Horwitz



Category: Mummies Alive
Genre: F/M, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-16 04:02:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1331167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julie_Horwitz/pseuds/Julie_Horwitz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A rewrite of a section of my "Mummies Alive!" fanfiction novel "Truth's Consequences." Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina's romance begins.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Amends

****

Disclaimer: 

The following is a work of fanfiction. All characters and situations belonging to the animated series "Mummies Alive!" are copyrighted to DIC Enterprises.  
 ****

Author's Notes: 

This story is one that has been a long time in coming. When I originally wrote "Truth's Consequences", I had had every intention of "being brave" and including a full-blown R-rated love scene. But, as the time for chapter twenty-five to be written approached, I realized that I was not ready. Yes, I was an adult and had read plenty of stories with sex in them, but I could not bring myself to write it. I was too embarrassed by the very idea of seeing certain words materialize on the screen as I typed them. So, making the right decision for myself at the time, I chose to only include the before and after parts of the lovemaking sequence.  
However, I always felt that there was something...missing from the scene. Yes, the writing was half-decent, but it just didn't...flow. But, being eager to move on with the novel, I decided to let it go. Besides, it was such a minor part of the story. All that mattered was that they had gotten together. Would anyone really care whether or not I illustrated what they did immediately after?  
Flash-foward to this past year. I was in the midst of my "Atlantis" obsession and writing my Helga/Rourke trilogy. Sex had played a huge role in the storyline and the idea of writing an NC-17 story about them would not leave me alone. I was still horribly embarrassed by the idea, but I thought it would be a good challenge for me. So, I finally bit the bullet and wrote one. And, much to my surprise, I found that it was fun. I had actually _enjoyed_ writing a graphic sex scene. I wanted to write more!  
That brings us to the present. After writing several pieces of erotica for "Atlantis", I felt that it was time to return to the fandom that had started it all. I had written a R-rated scene in "Reprisal" and had originally intended to include a second, but eventually decided that it would only bog down the story. Employing the "missing scene" method I had developed for my "Atlantis" stories, I wrote "Without Regret", my first MA! smut story. After I had finished with that, I decided that it was time to return to that chapter that had for years bothered me. This story, "Amends", is the end result.  
This "story" is really just a rewritten chapter and does not stand on its own. A working knowledge of the events in "Truth's Consequences" is needed in order to understand it. It is highly recommended that you at least read the first twenty-four chapters of the novel before reading this.  
Another thing that I feel the need to mention is my view on how "alive" the mummies actually are. I see them as being fully-functioning human beings. With the exception of their outward appearance, their bodies perform normally. This is supported by evidence throughout the actual series. Any episodes presenting conflicting information are ignored by this author.  
A reminder that no one under the age of 18 should be reading this story. It contains graphic sexual situations that are inappropriate for anyone underage. If you fall into this category, I must insist that you hit the back button on your browser immediately.  


All comments and questions may be sent to me at: jhorwitz@hotmail.com  
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story. 

 

 

 

**_Amends_**  
by Julie Horwitz 

 

 

Ja-Kal burst out into the cold rain, his eyes frantically searching for Nefer-Tina. He could hardly see anything due to the combination of darkness and heavy rain. Even the street lamps were barely visible in the downpour. Where had she gone? 

He cursed himself for not reacting fast enough and stopping her before she ran away from him. He had to find her as soon as possible and set things right between them. She was in such pain-all because of him. Everything that had ever happened to her was his fault.

_Everything._

He began to sprint down the sidewalk, hoping for some sign of her. He was grateful for the rain, knowing that it would prevent her from getting very far on foot. Already his own bandages were soaked through to the skin and he was beginning to shiver. Though there was no danger of either of them falling ill, the sooner he found her, the better. 

_Where are you?_ he thought desperately as he ran. Gods, how he needed to find her. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and kiss her and tell her how much he loved her. How much he _had_ loved her for a long time now... What a fool he had been! 

But why had she run from him? He could not understand it. Why was she so afraid? What could she possibly think he was going to do or say to her? 

His mind flashed back to the first time he had seen this fear. It had been the night he had tricked her into meeting him at the Crystal Room. Her reaction when he had come up to her and made his presence known had been stark terror. He did not think he had ever seen anyone so frightened in either his life or afterlife. It had taken him by surprise then. Just as it had now. 

What had he possibly done to her to earn such a terrible response?

Finally, after about five minutes of searching, he found her. She was sitting under a street lamp, her knees pulled tightly to her chest, her face buried against them. The light being cast down on her revealed her whole body to be shaking. But, whether from tears or the cold, he could not tell.

_Oh, Nefer-Tina,_ he thought sadly. _What have I done to you?_

His first instinct was to run to her and pull her into his arms, but he knew that would have been the worst thing he could possibly do. She would have bolted before he got anywhere near her. She was so afraid of him right now. He would have to be very careful in how he approached her.

He decided the best way was to treat her as he would a wounded animal. He would silently come up to her, not making a sound until he ensured that she could not get away from him. Once he had her trapped, she would have no choice but to talk to him. He wouldn't let her leave until she had told him why she was so frightened. 

And she knew how he felt about her.

He quickly and quietly closed the distance between them. Thankfully, she did not look up once. 

When he at last reached her, his question about her shaking was immediately answered. She was sobbing horribly, the sound of it sending pain through his heart.

He crouched down in front of her, struggling against the urge to take her into his arms and just hold her close. The things Tia had done... It was all his fault. _He_ was the one who had done this to her. _He_ was the one who had brought her so much pain. She was suffering because of _his_ ignorance and blindness. 

_All my fault..._

He reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nefer-Tina," he softly spoke.

As soon as she felt the touch and heard the voice, Nefer-Tina's entire body tensed up. _Ja-Kal!_

A wave of panic passed over her. What was he doing here? Why had he followed her? What did he want?

Terrified that he was here to scream at her for what he probably thought were lies and deception, she remained the way she was. The last thing she needed to see right now was the anger in his face. 

Ja-Kal felt the tightening of her muscles underneath his hand. She knew he was there but for some reason she could not bring herself to look at him. Why?

_At least she didn't run,_ he told himself as a consolation. _It's a start._

"Nefer-Tina," he tried again, "please. Look at me."

After a moment, she slowly lifted her face. Ja-Kal sucked in his breath at the sight that greeted him.

Her eyes were wide with fear and her lower lip was trembling. Her breathing was ragged and he could hear her trying to suppress her sobs. Her cheeks were wet, but he could not tell which trails belonged to the tears and which ones belonged to the rain. He fought back the impulse to reach out and wipe them all away.

_What have I done?_

Nefer-Tina just looked at him, too afraid to speak. Although he looked more concerned than angry right now, she knew that as soon as she opened her mouth, his fury would be unleashed. What she had done to him... She deserved every ounce of hatred he now felt for her.

For a moment, Ja-Kal did not know how to proceed. He knew that she wouldn't believe him if he came right out and told her how he felt. Right now she was too terrified of him. He would have to slowly work his way to that point.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he began. It was a simple enough question. Maybe her answer would shed some light on her irrational behavior.

Ja-Kal's query took Nefer-Tina completely by surprise and for a moment she could not bring herself to respond. She had not expected questions from him, only accusations, which she more than deserved. 

"B-because I didn't want to hurt you," she finally answered, her gaze dropping down.

Her response startled him. "Hurt me? How?" Why in the world would she think something like that? "You could never hurt me."

She immediately looked back up at him, her fear turning into confusion. Where was the anger? The harsh words that he had every right to throw at her? Why wasn't he already bodily dragging her back to the Sphinx? "That's not true and you know it."

"No, I don't know it," he informed her. "Tell me how you've hurt me."

"Why are you being so nice to me? You heard everything Tia said. It's all true, every word of it." If he was at all angry, he was hiding it well.

"I know," he told her. "By the gods, I know. I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry? Why are you sorry?" What was going on? Ja-Kal wasn't acting like himself. "You had nothing to do with what happened."

"You're wrong," he disagreed. "If anyone is to blame, it's me. If I hadn't accepted the pharaoh's invitation to join-"

His protest so shocked her that she choked out a harsh laugh. If his behavior wasn't so strange, she'd have found it funny.

"I don't get you," she informed him. "After hearing everything I've done, how can you just stand there and still treat me as if nothing's changed between us? Act as if I did nothing wrong? For Ra's sake, Ja-Kal, you just found out that I'm in love with you!" 

Ja-Kal knew he would have to choose his next words very carefully. So far, nothing he had said seemed to have gotten through to her. All the lies that Tia had told her were too thoroughly entrenched into her psyche. One wrong word would push her even further away from him. 

In a way, he was more responsible than Tia for Nefer-Tina's prolonged suffering into this world. He had been so blind to her feelings for him. If only he had known Tia's true nature sooner. His devotion to his family had kept him from following his heart for so long...

"I'd really like to be alone right now," she told him when he didn't say anything. She wanted to get away from him before she said whatever it was that would at last trigger his thus far suppressed anger. She was more than confused by his behavior. She needed time to try and figure out why he wasn't screaming at her. She looked down. "Please."

"I can't just leave you out in the rain," he said. _And I have no intention of it._ "Come back to the Sphinx with me."

She shook her head. She couldn't go back there. Not ever. Not after what had been said. 

He removed his hand from her shoulder and held it out to her. "Please."

Instead of saying anything, she rose to her feet and turned away from him. Why was he doing this? What was wrong with him? Why was he being so kind to someone like her-a lying, deceitful nobody?

Ja-Kal dropped his hand but did not move. He was not going anywhere. Not until she heard the truth.

Nefer-Tina could feel Ja-Kal just standing there behind her. What was he doing? Why wasn't he leaving? Was he waiting for her to say something?

Then she remembered. He _was_ waiting for something. An answer to his question.

"You asked why I didn't tell you?" Maybe if he heard the entire truth, he would go away. He'd finally know what a disgrace she was and then he'd realize that he had wasted a great deal of time and energy as her friend. "When did I ever have a chance?

"After our resurrection, I was so sure that you didn't want me as a friend anymore for a while."

_What?!_

"Even after I realized that you did still want to be friends with me, I knew that I could never tell you," she continued. "The whole reason we were brought back to life was to protect Presley, not to try and make something that was never meant to be. We both know how important duty is to you. Besides, your heart belonged to Tia. Your wife."

_Not anymore,_ he mentally assured her. _I have no more feelings for her. Not after what she did to you._

"And then back in Egypt... You have to understand what life was like for me. I'm a farmer's daughter who just happened to be chosen as a palace musician. I was and still am a nobody."

_No. Gods, no,_ he silently corrected her. How could she think such a thing?

"You, on the other hand, were a royal hunter. You had power and prestige. The pharaoh valued you for your wisdom and skills. He didn't even know I existed until... You know.

"Anyway, I knew from the start that I could never have you. Gods, I even knew that I couldn't ever speak to you."

"Why?" He couldn't help himself. He had to know why she thought this. He had never heard of such a ridiculous notion.

She did not turn around as she answered. "Why do you think? I was a lowly palace musician. I had no business talking to someone like you. I wasn't worthy of even being in the same room with you.

"I still feel the same way."

"Nefer-Tina," he put in. "Don't be ridiculous. I can't think of anyone-"

"Don't." She turned around as she cut him off. "Please." 

He only looked at her, waiting for her to continue. He couldn't risk saying anything that might scare her off again.

"I can still remember the first time I ever saw you," she finally spoke after a moment of silence. "It's a day I'll never forget. It was my first day in the palace. 

"Gods, I was such a wreck that day. I was sixteen years old and had never spent more than a few hours away from my home. I was terrified. I had no idea what my new life had in store for me. All I wanted to do was to go back to my parents and the familiar safety of the farm." She gave a small laugh. "Little did I know how true that old saying 'you can never go home again' was at the time.

"Like I was saying, I was a wreck. I'd only arrived at the palace the night before and had spent most of that evening and morning practicing. The matrons wanted all of the new girls to be 'perfect'. I'd hardly gotten any sleep at all because I had tossed and turned all night.

"By the time we were finally led into the throne room, I was badly shaking from a combination of nerves and exhaustion. I could barely hold on to my lute. Somehow, I mustered the courage to look out into the crowd to see who we would be performing for, and it was at that very moment that everything changed. It was the moment that I first saw you. 

"You were just standing there with the other hunters, listening intently to whatever the pharaoh was telling you. You probably didn't even notice our entrance. You were too busy receiving your next orders and I'm sure they didn't involve listening to music."

Ja-Kal silently agreed with her. It was true. He had never paid attention to anything outside of his work for the pharaoh, with the exception of Tia, whom he had known long before he had come to Memphis. (Why did he have to fall in love with her?) Court musicians had not fallen into that category.

"I couldn't take my eyes off of you," Nefer-Tina continued. "There was just this... _something_ about you. It made me feel... I don't even know how to describe it. It was just...so strong. It...scared me. 

"I'd never felt anything like it in my entire life. It was... All I knew was that I liked it. A lot. And I didn't want it to go away.

"I still feel it now."

Once again, Ja-Kal almost reached out to pull her to him but was able to catch himself in time. She needed to be able to finish telling him her story before he told her how he felt. He wanted to know why she was so afraid of him. And, more importantly, he wanted to know the extent of the damage Tia had inflicted upon this innocent woman. Only then, armed with this knowledge, would he be able to get through to her.

"I almost missed my cue to start playing," she went on. "You were all I could think about. You became the center of my world. Whatever I played, I played for you.

"Then we were dismissed by Amenhotep, who had obviously tired of our music. As we were herded out of the throne room, I kept looking at you. All I wanted to do was break away and go over to you... But I knew I couldn't."

_You're so wrong._

"After I exited the throne room, I was immediately grabbed and roughly pulled aside. It all happened so fast. The next thing I knew, I had been slammed against a wall and slapped across the face." She gave another small, humorless laugh before turning away from him. "And that's how I met Tia."

_Oh, gods,_ Ja-Kal thought.

"Apparently, my staring had not gone unnoticed." She took a hold of the lamp post and leaned heavily against it. "She had seen the way I was looking at you and...misinterpreted it. She thought... She thought...

"She must have loved you incredibly to want to keep me away." 

_No,_ he again corrected her. _She never loved me. She only loved what I could do for her._ When this was over and Nefer-Tina finally knew how much he loved her, he would tell her the truth about his ex-wife. She deserved to know the real reason why her life had practically been destroyed. 

"That was when it all started. From that day on, Tia would harass me at every possible moment," Nefer-Tina told him. "It didn't matter where I was or what I was doing. She'd find me and corner me. She'd say horrible, hurtful things to me. Then she'd...threaten me. She'd tell me all the things she'd do to me if she ever found me near you. I guess it was her way of making sure that it would never happen. 

"And, it worked. I was terrified to leave my bedchamber every morning because I knew she'd be waiting for me. However, my feelings for you never went away. In fact, they continued to grow...

"Anyway, remember the walks I told you about? They were my only escape from her. I had no idea that she even knew about them..."

For a moment, Ja-Kal again considered stopping her from continuing. He didn't want her to have to go through the pain of remembering again. Tia had already done a fine job making her do that tonight. But, he decided, it would be best if he just let her finish. He still didn't know the reason for her intense fear of him and that was something he desperately needed to hear.

"The rest you know. For two years, my love for you kept me going. I never dreamed I'd see you again. I had lost everything. My child. My innocence. My family. My...very identity. Nefer-Tina was nothing but a distant memory. Nefer, the charioteer, was all that was left.

"After that final race, when I found out that I had been chosen as one of the royal guardians to Prince Rapses, I almost ran away, I was so afraid that I'd be discovered. But I didn't, and I stayed. And, then, for the first time in two years, I saw you again.

"Of course, you didn't know me. And truthfully, I didn't even know you. I had fallen in love with someone I had just seen across a room. You were a stranger yet I felt like I had known you my entire life. All I knew was that when I was in the same room with you, I felt whole, complete...

"Tia, of course, recognized me immediately. She flaunted repeatedly in my face the fact that you had married her. It was as if it was all a game to her. A contest that she had won. 

"She also saw that I was still in love with you after all that time and that enraged her more than anything. So, she began to threaten me again. But, this time, the threat was very real.

"But, through it all, you, of everyone, were the nicest to me. You became the friend I had never had. You accepted me with no questions asked. And, for that, I will always be grateful."

Finally, she slowly turned to face him again, and despite the falling rain, he could see the fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

"So, you asked me why I never told you. It was because of our friendship. That was the one good thing in my life. To lose that would have been to lose everything all over again."

_Gods... Oh, Nefer-Tina..._ It all made sense to him now. It wasn't _him_ that she was afraid of, after all. It was the fear of losing him. _What have I done to you?_

"I knew you'd never love me the way I loved you. You only knew me as Nefer, a male charioteer. But, when you offered me your friendship, it was almost as good as if you had offered me your love. It allowed me to be close to you, even if it wasn't in the way I dreamed about.

"Tia was the one you loved...maybe even still love. She was your wife, your love...your everything. Next to your duty, she was the most important thing in your life. She was what you wanted to talk about the most. I knew and accepted that. It hurt me whenever you talked about how much you loved her, but, for the sake of our friendship, I never said anything. It was the same with Padjet after he was born."

Ja-Kal's heart ached and he felt like he himself would start crying at any moment. He knew he had been hurting her badly all of this time, but never did he dream that even being near him had been a torment to her. How could he have been so blind?

"I know I almost lost you when you first found out I was a woman. I know how important honesty is to you and all I've ever done is lie to you about everything. You were so angry in the beginning. For a while, I thought you hated me..." Her voice trailed off and she looked down.

"I was so amazed when you still wanted to be friends with me. I knew you had no choice but to accept me as a teammate, but that didn't mean that you still had to care about me. But you did and..." She looked up again.

"I was so afraid of losing you. I knew if I said anything about my feelings for you, it would all be over.

"You would have felt betrayed."

He couldn't believe what she was saying. She honestly thought he'd end their friendship over her feelings for him? "That-"

Ja-Kal's protest was cut off as Nefer-Tina gently placed her hand against his mouth. 

She sadly shook her head. "Don't try to deny it. I _know_ you, Ja-Kal. For me to turn around and tell you that I have been in love with you since before I met you would have ended our friendship. You would have thought that I had used it to be near you."

_No!_ he silently cried. _Gods, no!_ He tried to speak aloud again, but she kept her hand firmly in place. 

"Please don't say anything that you might later regret," she told him quietly. "I'll always treasure the friendship we had. I know it's over now." She removed her hand. "I won't bother you ever again."

_What?!_

"I-I'll leave the Sphinx," she continued, turning her back to him. "I'll find someplace else to stay. There's no reason for me to remain here and continue to remind you of what I did to you."

Ja-Kal was shocked into silence. She was leaving? No!

"I also think it's best for me to resign my position of second-in-command," she went on. "We both know that I don't deserve it. Rath will do a much better job than I ever could. 

"And, don't worry about me forgetting my duty. I'll still protect the prince. I just won't be around here anymore."

_No! No!_ he mentally cried. She couldn't leave! Not now when he had finally come to his senses. Not when he was ready to make up for all the pain he had caused her.

He had not spoken before out of fear of scaring her away but now if he remained quiet he would lose her forever. He had to do something... _anything_! But what? 

In truth, he had never been a man of words. For him, actions were usually best. So, with no other options left, he did the only thing he could.

He reached out, grabbed Nefer-Tina by the arm, spun her around, and kissed her.

It was a kiss of passion. 

Of need. 

Of desire. 

Of _love_.

A love so strong that words weren't enough to describe it. Ja-Kal put everything he had into this kiss. His heart...his soul. He wanted her to feel how much he loved her. He _needed_ for her to feel it. 

_Please understand._

At first, Nefer-Tina did not know what was happening. One moment she had been looking at the foot of a lamppost and the next something warm was pressing insistently against her lips. Then, when she finally realized what was going on, she knew immediately that she was dreaming. 

She didn't remember passing out, but it was the only logical explanation. Nothing else made sense. It told her everything she needed to know. Why Ja-Kal was acting so strange. Why he wasn't angry. Why he kissed her.

If this had been real, Ja-Kal would have long ago bodily dragged her back to the Sphinx for the scolding of both her life and afterlife. Instead of kissing her, he would be berating her. He would be telling her all the things she already knew. And then, he would probably kick her out, informing her that she disgusted him and that he never wanted to see her again. He would _never_ kiss her. 

Yet, in this dream, this wonderful dream, he was kissing her... _loving_ her. If only this moment could last forever. She prayed she would never wake up.

Knowing that in this fantasy she was safe, she began to kiss him back with the passion that had been building up inside of her for centuries.

Ja-Kal felt overjoyed by Nefer-Tina's response. He had only been thinking of himself when he pulled her to him. It hadn't occurred to him until too late that it might have been too premature. But now that she was kissing him back, he knew that he had finally reached her. She knew he loved her. She no longer had any reason to be afraid.

He continued to kiss her passionately, holding her close. He would keep her safe and protected. No one would ever hurt her again.

Finally, after what seemed like a glorious eternity, Ja-Kal ended the kiss, if only to convince her to come inside the Sphinx. He didn't see any reason to stay out in the cold rain any longer. Still holding her tightly in his arms, he told her, "I love you. I've loved you for a very long time now. And, don't you ever doubt my feelings for you again. Do you understand me?"

Nefer-Tina could only numbly nod at the dream figure, afraid that a single sound on her part would cause her to wake up. If only this were real... 

He kissed her again. "You're the only one that matters to me. The _only_ one." He lifted her into his arms. "Now, come on, let's get you out of the rain."

*** 

Ja-Kal carried her directly into the bedroom. He had chosen that particular part of the Sphinx because it would afford them the privacy they needed while they talked. He gently deposited her onto the bed and sat down next to her.

Stroking her cheek, he softly said, "You're safe now. No one will ever hurt you again."

She only nodded, still afraid of making a sound.

"I love you," he said and leaned down to kiss her. When he ended the kiss, he ran a hand through her soaking wet hair. "I'm going to leave you alone for a few minutes, all right? I'm going to go and bring us both back some towels."

Her eyes widened. "No, don't," she softly pleaded. "Please."

Her reaction surprised him. "Nefer-Tina, what is it? What's wrong?"

She swallowed. "I'm just afraid that...that..."

He moved closer to her. "You have nothing to be afraid of. I won't let anything happen to you. Not anymore. I love you."

She reached up and cupped his cheek. "I know," she whispered. "And I love you." 

He put his own hand over hers. "Then what's wrong? What's upsetting you so? Tell me. Please."

She nodded. "I'm afraid that if you leave, I'll...I'll...wake up."

_Wake up?_ He gripped her hand and pulled it away from his face. "What are you talking about?"

She gave him a sad smile. "I know that this is a dream. I knew it from the moment you kissed me. If you leave me, I'm going to wake up and everything will go back to the way it was." 

Ja-Kal was incredulous. A dream? She thought this was all a dream?

With his free hand, he caressed her cheek. "What makes you think that this isn't real?"

"You love me."

_Oh gods!_

At her words, he felt all of his relief and happiness fade away. So, he hadn't gotten through to her after all. She was still convinced that he could never love her.

_Damn you, Tia._

In that moment, he hated his ex-wife more than he had ever hated anyone, even Scarab.

"No, Nefer-Tina, no," he told her emphatically. "This is real. Gods, this is so very real. I love you." He kissed her and changed positions so that he was straddling her. "I _love_ you. I told you never to doubt my feelings for you. Why can't you believe me?"

Her eyes searched his face. "You know why. You're a royal hunter and I'm a lowly musician. I'm not worthy of even being in the same room with you."

"You're wrong," he informed her. "You're so wrong. Let me prove it to you." And then he kissed her.

Ja-Kal kissed her as fervently as he had out in the rainstorm and then intensified it. He loved her so much and only wanted for her to see this truth. It pained him that Tia had hurt her so badly that she was convinced he could never love her. He didn't think he could love her any more. He was not leaving her side until she believed him.

As Ja-Kal kissed her, Nefer-Tina began to have the slightest twinge of doubt that she was dreaming after all. From the start, this had been different from her other dreams. For one thing, there had been talking. Ja-Kal never spoke to her in them. He just came to her and began to kiss her. Then there was the feelings being brought to life in her body. Feelings she had never known, not in life or even in the wildest of her fantasies...

He ended this latest kiss. "Did that feel like a dream?"

"N-no," she admitted hesitantly. Those strange new feelings... Could this really be happening? 

"How about this one?" He leaned down once more, his mouth pressing into hers.

She no longer knew what to believe. While her mind was telling her that this couldn't possibly be real, her heart and soul were telling her otherwise. She _felt_ the love behind the kiss. It was more real than anything she had ever known.

_I have to believe that it's real,_ she finally decided. _Gods, how I want this to be real._

She began to kiss him back with every last scrap of passion she possessed. She wrapped her arms around his body, pulling her torso up to meet his. Gods, how she loved him.

Ja-Kal felt relief sweep through him as she responded. _Thank the gods._

He placed his own hands on her back and brought her closer to him, deepening the kiss even more and losing himself in it. At this moment, nothing but loving her mattered.

Not even the safety of their prince. 

Nefer-Tina was overwhelmed by what was happening. It was all so fast yet at the same time all so wonderful. She had never known such feelings as she was now experiencing. He loved her. _Ja-Kal_ really loved her. And-

She was shocked out of her reverie when something brushed against the exposed skin of her lower back. She gasped and broke away from the kiss.

Ja-Kal was startled when she suddenly pulled away from him. What had happened? 

He searched her face, concern flooding through him. "Are you all right? Did I hurt you?"

"No, no..." She shook her head and then took a deep breath, visibly relaxing. "I'm okay. You just..."

"Just what?" he questioned her.

She gave a small smile before unwrapping one of her arms from around him and placing a hand on top of one of his. "You just startled me, that's all."

As soon as he felt her hand touch his, he knew what had happened.

_Idiot!_ he cursed himself. He had become so caught up in the kiss that he hadn't paid attention to anything else. How could he have let himself be so careless? Where was his mind?

"I'm sorry," he apologized, planting a flurry of small kisses on her face. "I'm so sorry."

This was his own fault. He had let it slip his mind how she reacted to unexpected physical contact. He should have remembered the incident in the restaurant when he had touched her back without her permission. He would have to be more cognizant in the future.

"Don't be," she lovingly assured him. "It's not like you did anything wrong." Her smile broadened. "Kissing and touching do kind of go together, you know. It's a rule."

"And you know this, how?" he lightly teased.

Seeing that Nefer-Tina was not going to allow his mistake to ruin the mood, he decided that he would follow suit. After all, this night was for her. Anything she wanted was hers.

"The magic box," she informed him. "The romance channel is very informative."

"Ah," he smiled at her. "I was wondering who kept leaving it on that station."

"Ja-Kal!"

He just chuckled and gave her another kiss before moving off of her. "Now that we've established that this is in fact reality, I really think I should go and get those towels now."

Her smile faded. "Don't go. Not yet."

He kissed her again. "I'd only be a second."

"I know," she told him, "but I..."

"What is it?"

"I.. I'm...not...ready to be alone yet," she confessed. "Please stay."

He nodded, understanding completely. This was all so new to her. He couldn't even begin to imagine what was running through her mind. "All right." He laid down beside her and pulled her into his arms. "All right." He ran a gentle hand along her back. "I'm not going anywhere, my love."

"Thank you," she whispered.

His only response was to draw her closer to him. He loved her so much. He only wanted her to feel safe, especially with him.

Again, he mentally kicked himself for his slip-up. Although Nefer-Tina had brushed it off as no big deal, he knew otherwise. Her fear of being touched was just one of the many things left over from her horrible past. A past that was his own fault.

How could he ever hope to make it up to her?

Nefer-Tina basked in the warmth of Ja-Kal's arms. She loved him so much and he, unbelievingly, loved her back. It was a miracle. For once in her existence, things seemed to be going her way.

But what amazed her the most was how he had said that he had loved her for a long time. What had he meant by that? Did that mean he had actually fallen in love with her some time ago and had kept it hidden from her until now?

If it had been any other man, she would have thought that it was the cruelest thing she had ever heard. She had been allowed to suffer while he had secretly returned her feelings. Her pain could have been ended long before now. If it had been any other man, she would have been devastated.

But this was not any man. This was _Ja-Kal_ , the most honorable and caring person she had ever known. There had been no selfish motives behind what he had done. He hadn't told her for the simple reason that he was married and that cheating on his wife would go against everything he had ever believed in.

So why had he finally told her?

He had not mentioned Tia once since he had kissed her. Yes, he now knew what Tia was really like, but that didn't change anything. They were still married. He _was_ cheating on her. How could he possibly allow himself to do that?

She maneuvered in his arms so that she was looking up at him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," he said.

She took a deep breath. "What about Tia?"

The moment he heard the question, Ja-Kal realized what Nefer-Tina must have been thinking. He hadn't told anyone that he and Tia were no longer married. He hadn't seen any reason to. Especially after he had decided that it would change nothing...

"It's over," he informed her. "It was over a long time ago. I just didn't know it until now."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know how much you loved her."

He leaned down and kissed her. "Don't waste any more time thinking about her. She doesn't matter anymore."

_If only that were true,_ Nefer-Tina sadly thought. What Ja-Kal didn't seem to understand was that Tia had been right about everything...was _still_ right. Yes, Ja-Kal loved her now, but it didn't change who she was. She was unworthy of him and would always be.

Ja-Kal decided to change the subject. Thinking of Tia would only bring Nefer-Tina pain, and that was the last thing he wanted for her.

"I have a confession to make," he announced.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Do you remember our dance the other night?"

She nodded.

"There was a moment when I almost kissed you."

Her eyes became even bigger.

"I just barely caught myself. Now I wish I hadn't."

Her look of surprise melted away. "No you don't," she told him soberly. "You would have never forgiven yourself."

"You can't know that," he disagreed. 

"But I do," she explained. "I know you too well, Ja-Kal. Maybe better than I know myself. You're too honorable to have ever allowed yourself to even consider adultery. Yes, you may have loved me already, but you would never have acted on it."

"I'm so sorry."

"For what?" she questioned. "Being a good man?" She gave him a small smile. "Don't be. It's who you are. It's the man I fell in love with.

"And I have a confession of my own. I almost kissed you too."

"What have I done to you?" he murmured. "I'm so sorry."

"Stop saying that."

"How can I? After everything I've done to you?"

"What 'everything'? What is it that you think you've done to me?"

"You know perfect-"

She cut him off by kissing him. "I love you, Ja-Kal. Just leave it at that. Please."

"I can't."

"Try," she said. "For me. For _us_."

After a few moments of silence, he finally gave a resigned sigh. "I'll try."

"That's all I ask."

He kissed her again. "I love you so much."

"I love you." 

He just looked at her then. The face smiling back at him was full of so much love and that made her appear all the more beautiful to him. She was probably the most beautiful woman he had ever known, inside and out. And she was his.

It was at that moment that he realized how much he wanted to make love to her. He wanted to show her the extent of his feelings for her with his entire body and soul. He wanted to cleanse her of what his brother had done to her, to kiss every inch of her body until there was not a trace of her pain left. But not until she was ready. 

Although she had been raped and given birth to a child, she was still a virgin in every other sense of the word. She had never been loved before. He was the first man to ever kiss her. If only he had been the first one to touch her instead of his brother. What Arakh had done to this beautiful woman...

He kissed her deeply then, making a promise to himself that she would one day know what it truly meant to make love.

Nefer-Tina loved what he was doing to her. She hoped he would kiss her all night long. The reality was better than any dream she had ever had. 

But her bliss shattered when she felt something hard suddenly dig into her stomach.

For the second time that night, she gasped and broke the kiss. She pulled out of his embrace and quickly rose to a sitting position, drawing her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly. Fear came rushing in at her from every direction as flashes of memory began to assault her.

_Oh, gods!_ she thought, her entire body beginning to shake. _Oh, gods!_

Ja-Kal sat up next to her, but did not move any closer. This mistake was much worse than his earlier one. He feared that he had lost her again and that there would be no getting her back this time.

"I'm so sorry," he breathed. "Oh, gods, I'm sorry."

He cursed his body for betraying him like this. This was entirely his own fault. Even as he had vowed to wait, he had started thinking about how he would make love to her, going over what he would do step by step. He had not even been aware of his growing arousal until it was too late.

"Can you ever forgive me?"

"For what?" she murmured, trying to calm herself down. "You didn't do anything wrong. I should have been expecting it to happen. I-I just wasn't thinking."

"No, I was the one not thinking," he corrected her. "I know how afraid you must be."

She looked up at him with tearing eyes.

"What my brother did to you... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I...I still can feel him sometimes," she softly said after a few moments of silence. "He hurt me so badly. Why did he do that to me? Why?"

Ja-Kal pulled her into his arms again, the need to comfort her outweighing caution. 

"I'd never hurt you," he murmured. "I'd give anything to take away your pain."

"I just wish I could forget."

"Shh," he ordered her, stroking her hair and back. "I'm sorry, my love. I'm so sorry."

She clung to him.

"I love you so much," he told her. "I'm so sorry."

"I love you," she whispered.

"One day, when you're ready, I'll show you that you don't have to be afraid anymore," he softly told her. "I'll make love to you the right way."

"I know," she replied.

He moved a hand and cupped her chin, moving her face so that she was looking at him. "I'd _never_ hurt you." And then he gently kissed her.

This time he made sure he was aware of what every part of his body was doing. There'd be no more mistakes tonight.

Nefer-Tina pushed the memories away and focused on the kiss. She loved him so much. She knew he hadn't meant anything by it. It had just happened. She only wished he would stop apologizing so much. 

Yet, she felt a twinge of guilt. Ja-Kal's body had spoken louder than words. He wanted to make love to her. She had caused him to become aroused. Did she really have any right to deny him?

From the numerous movies she had watched, lovemaking was something that was expected to occur between lovers. It was a perfectly natural act. Was it fair of her to make him wait until she was ready, which could be a very long time?

The logical part of her mind told her that he would never do anything intentionally to hurt her and she knew it was right. But the other part of her mind, the part that was trapped in the past as a frightened sixteen-year-old, only knew pain, excruciating pain. The pain of having her innocence ripped away from her. 

The kiss ended and she looked into his eyes. She saw incredible love in them. Love for her.

It was still so difficult for her to believe that any of this was real. How could he love someone like her? He deserved someone so much better.

Yet, he did love her. He had gone out of his way to make that very clear to her in so many ways already. His need to make love to her only proved his point.

But what had she done to show her gratitude to him? Nothing. She had just sat there and repeatedly told him that he couldn't love her, which only made him try even harder.

It was time for her to prove how much she loved him, even if it meant facing her greatest fear.

"Make love to me."

Ja-Kal's eyes widened. Surely he had not heard her right. "What did you say?"

She leaned in closer, taking his face in her hands. "Make love to me, Ja-Kal."

There was no question that he had not misheard her this time. "Are you sure?"

Her hands fell away from his face and she looked down. "I-I want to do this."

He took both of her hands in his. "Then why do you sound so uncertain?"

"Because I'm frightened."

He kissed the top of her head. "Then let's not do this now. I don't want you forcing yourself to do anything you're not ready for."

"No!" She looked up at him. "I want to."

"Why?"

"T-to show you how much I love you."

He kissed her again, this time on the lips. "I already know."

"Please. For me."

He cupped a cheek. "You're not going to give up are you?"

She shook her head. 

Realizing that this was an argument he couldn't win, he moved in to kiss her again.

She pulled slightly away. "Just promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"Promise that it won't hurt."

He took a moment before answering. He did not want to lie to her. He was sure there'd be some pain upon his entry into her body. He did not have to be a physician to know that she would be tight from disuse and the stretching of the muscles would not be pleasant. And then there was the fact that he was such a large man...

"I'm not going to lie to you. There will be a little pain."

She only nodded.

"You still want this?"

She nodded again.

He kissed her once more, placing his hands purposely on the exposed skin of her lower back and pulling her as close to his body as he could.

He felt her shuddered involuntarily at his touch, but she did not attempt to break the kiss. Obviously, she had been ready for it this time.

She wrapped her arms tightly around him, focusing only on the feel of his lips against hers. She did her best to ignore his hands.

Compared to what was coming later, the touch was nothing.

As they kissed, Ja-Kal began to pull her back into a laying position.

She did not fight him, still trying to keep her mind only on the kiss.

Once they were down, he drew her closer and deepened the kiss. His hands began to move along her back, up and down.

She relaxed a bit as she noticed how nice the back rubbing felt. But then she immediately tensed up again as strange things began happening in her body. Unusual things in unusual places. Places that she had purposely avoided for so long...

But, she reluctantly admitted to herself, it did feel rather good...

He felt her fluctuate between fear and the beginning signs of relaxation. She was so frightened yet, at the same time, so determined to go through with this. He couldn't understand it, but he loved her so much that he couldn't help but obey her wishes. He would do his best to make this the best possible experience for her.

He rolled her onto her back and placed himself on top of her, sliding his hands to her waist. His legs rested against the outside of hers. 

He continued kissing her, allowing his mouth to roam from her lips onto other areas of her face-her chin, cheeks, nose, and anything else he could reach.

Nefer-Tina decided she liked this part best so far. Nothing too strange was happening. She just enjoyed the gentle kissing. The tension once again began to leave her body.

Ja-Kal sensed that she was completely relaxed for the moment, which relieved him greatly. He wanted her to enjoy this despite her fear. 

He ran into his first obstacle when he began to kiss the underside of her chin. As he tried to move onto her neck, he encountered the beginning of her wrappings.

In order to proceed any further, he was going to have to undress her. And he knew that this part would be very difficult for her.

He pulled away and moved off of her, keeping his face as close to hers as possible.

"How are you doing so far?" he asked her.

"O-okay," she told him. "I know I'm not making this easy for you."

He gave her a quick kiss to dismiss the notion. "You're doing no such thing." He reached up and caressed a cheek. "I love you so much."

She smiled at him. "I love you. Thank you."

He brought his hand down and took her amulet in his hand. "Raise your head."

She obeyed with a questioning look on her face.

He removed the amulet and then took off his own. "I'll be right back."

He got up from the bed and went over to the vanity across the room, onto which he deposited both amulets. He returned to the bed and sat down on the edge.

Nefer-Tina rose to a sitting position. "What happens now?"

"Are you still sure you want to go through with this?" He had to ask her again because once he had removed her bandages, he knew there would be no turning back.

"Yes." She was still scared, but determined to do this. Ja-Kal deserved nothing less. If he wanted to make love to her, he was going to make love to her. 

He reached out and took her left hand. He turned it over to reveal the palm. He bent down and kissed it. He sat up, and with his free hand, he ran his fingers over her palm until he found the end of her bandage. Once he had it, he slowly began to remove it.

Nefer-Tina sucked in her breath as the reality of what was happening finally hit her. Until this moment, until Ja-Kal started undressing her, it had all seemed surreal. Yes, she had told him, no, _insisted_ that he make love to her, but nothing truly sexual had actually happened. Not until now. And once he had her naked, there would be no turning back. 

Ja-Kal finished exposing her palm and pressed another kiss into it. He looked up and saw the intense fear in her eyes.

He stopped what he was doing. "Tell me if you want me to stop."

She shook her head. "Continue. Please."

He only nodded, realizing that she wasn't going to let him stop even if he wanted to. She was being so stubborn.

He went back to unwrapping her arm, kissing each inch of flesh as it was revealed.

Nefer-Tina closed her eyes and focused on the feel of his lips as they repeatedly pressed into her arm, moving higher and higher each time. She liked the sensation. It was almost as if he was marking her as his own with every kiss. She began to relax again.

Ja-Kal finished her first arm, letting the unused bandages fall to the floor. He released the arm and took her right hand.

"Are you all right, my love?"

She nodded.

To his relief, she seemed to be more at ease now. Unfortunately, he knew that this level of comfort would not last for long.

He began the same process on her right arm. He would systematically unwrap and then kiss. She was responding to it and he wanted to keep her as relaxed as possible for as long as possible.

When he had finished, he decided that the next step was to have her repeat the same actions on him. Not only would it delay what he knew was scaring her the most, but it would give her a chance to become familiar with his body.

"Your turn," he simply said.

At first, she just looked at him, thinking she hadn't heard him right. "What?"

He held out his right arm to her. "Your turn," he repeated.

Understanding dawned on her. "You want me to take it off." It was not a question.

He nodded.

"O-okay." Nervously, she reached out and took his hand. It looked so large when compared to her own. She gingerly felt around his palm until she found the loose bandage edge. She fingered it, but did nothing else.

"Go on," he encouraged. 

Without acknowledging him, she started to unwrap his hand. When she could see his palm, she copied what he had done and kissed it. Then she looked up at him.

He smiled at her to show his approval.

She weakly smiled back. She knew he realized how hard this was for her. She was grateful for the incredible patience and understanding he was giving her.

She returned her attention to his arm and continued to unwrap it. She felt him kiss her on the top of her head several times, but did not look up from her work. Soon she had finished it, but before she could start on the second arm, Ja-Kal stopped her and gave her another kiss.

"I'm proud of you," he told her. "Gods, I love you."

"Am I doing all right?"

"You're doing perfectly," he said. He placed his left hand on her lap. "Whenever you're ready."

"I love you," she informed him as she took his left hand and got to work. The feeling she got whenever she spoke those words was incredible. Never, in either her life or afterlife, had she ever imagined that she would say them to him.

Ja-Kal watched as the woman he loved slowly unwrapped his arm. The look of sheer concentration on her face was endearing. The fear seemed to be gone for the moment, proving to him that he had made the right decision in asking her to do this. Her full attention was on removing his bandages and nothing else.

When she was done, he once again drew her into a deep kiss, pushing them both back down onto the bed. After a few moments, he broke the kiss and moved down the bed so that he was better positioned to unwrap her legs. 

He bent over and kissed her bare midriff.

The feel of his lips on her stomach was incredible and sent a new sensation soaring through her body.

Ja-Kal could hear and feel the change in her breathing. She had liked that. Good.

"What are you doing now?" she asked.

"I'm getting ready to unwrap your legs," he told her.

She gasped and sat up, the fear making it's dreaded reappearance.

He reached out and caressed her nearest cheek. "I know," he said, letting her know that he understood how afraid she was of pain. "I know."

He assessed the situation. Like her arms, the legs had two separate bandages. The one that ran from below the knee to her foot was no problem. It was the one that wrapped the leg from above the knee to somewhere underneath her kilt that he had to worry about. Removing it meant that he had to touch her very near the very place she had been hurt the most.

How should he handle this? Should he just deal with that part right away on both legs and get it over with, allowing her a chance to calm down again while he worked on her lower legs? Or, would it be better to save them for last and then do a gentle exploration to prove that she had nothing to fear? All it would take was one touch of the highly sensitive clitoris for her to no longer be afraid.

He quickly made his choice and went to work on her lower legs. Introducing her vagina to his touch now would make things a little easier later on. She'd be much more relaxed once she knew how wonderful lovemaking could feel. She wouldn't be afraid anymore.

Nefer-Tina again tried to force down her fear. She knew he'd never intentionally hurt her. She _knew_ it. Yet something kept telling her that pain was coming. That as soon as he touched her between her legs, whatever pleasure she had been feeling would be destroyed and replaced with terrible hurt.

She laid back down, deciding it would be best not to watch him. Maybe if she didn't know what was coming, she wouldn't be so afraid.

Ja-Kal sensed rather than heard her return to a lying position as he reached the ankle of her right foot. He picked it up and finished the job, giving each toe a kiss before lowering the leg. He knew she was getting more and more nervous. He could hear it in her breathing. He quickly started on her left leg. The sooner he finished with the part, the sooner he could exorcise her fears once and for all.

Nefer-Tina felt the final kiss on the final toe of her left leg and braced herself for whatever was next. 

Ja-Kal gently put down her left leg and then slightly spread the legs apart. As her breathing became faster and more erratic, he moved between them and spread them even further.

_Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods,_ Nefer-Tina silently chanted. He was _spreading_ her legs. Did that mean he was going to enter her now? Before he had even finished unwrapping her or himself?

He moved closer to her body and sat down on his knees. As quickly as he could manage, he pushed up her kilt, exposing her vagina.

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as the air hit between her legs. _Oh gods..._

One at a time, he bent her legs in order to give himself maximum access. Even without touching her, he could see that she was only slightly aroused. The labia were only a tiny bit swollen and she had only secreted a very small amount of mucus. This was not a good sign. She was currently too afraid. 

As of right now, any attempt to enter her would cause her pain.

He would have to remedy that.

If there was only one good thing that had come out of his marriage to Tia, it was an intimate knowledge of the female anatomy. Although they had not made love very often because of his duties, when they had, it had been very thorough and intense. Over time, he had learned what touches felt the best on each part of her body. He would use all of these on Nefer-Tina. Before this night was over, she would know the true meaning of pleasure. He would make sure of it.

He looked up at Nefer-Tina's face. Her eyes were tightly shut and she wore a mask of fear. Her body's arousal level was a perfect reflection of what she was feeling.

He turned his attention back to between her legs. With one hand, he reached out and spread the lips as far apart as he could. 

Nefer-Tina whimpered.

"Shh," he told her in a very soft voice. He could feel her trembling. "It's all right. I'm not going to hurt you."

He took his other hand and, with a single finger, touched her clitoris.

The response was immediate. She gasped and her entire pelvis bucked.

Nefer-Tina's eyes shot open in surprise. What had happened? What was he doing?

He started to massage the clitoris, bringing in more fingers as he circled and rubbed it.

_Oh gods!_ Nefer-Tina was overcome by such feelings of pleasure. _Oh gods!_

Underneath his fingers, he felt the clitoris swell. She was responding as well as he had hoped.

"Ja-Kal..." she barely managed. "Oh, gods..."

She began to rock her hips, pressing herself against his fingers.

There were no words to describe what she was feeling. It was...incredible. What was he doing to her?

Without releasing his hold on her labia, he moved a finger and lightly rubbed it over her opening. She was secreting more mucus now, indicating an increased level of arousal.

She moaned at the contact.

Very gently, he began to enter her with his finger. 

She sucked in her breath. What was happening to her? What was he doing?

Ja-Kal could immediately feel the tightness around his finger. He would have to get her to relax before he could proceed any further. Bringing her to climax was probably the best thing.

Once he could push it in no further, he started to move his finger, gently circling and making light contact with the vaginal walls. He did not let up his manipulation of her clitoris.

She cried out and bucked her hips again. She was being assaulted by the most wonderful sensation. He had put something _inside_ of her. And, amazingly, it hadn't hurt.

Much to Ja-Kal's satisfaction, her muscles began to loosen up. She was enjoying this. And knowing that brought him all the enjoyment he needed for the moment.

He increased the speed of his movements and then added a pumping motion.

She moaned and cried out, grinding herself against his hands. 

She found herself no longer capable of coherent thoughts. She was being held prisoner in a world of pure ecstasy, of sensations beyond her wildest dreams.

She felt a mounting pressure inside of her. With every touch she received, it grew bigger. She did not think it would hold much longer...

Ja-Kal could tell that she was getting close. It would not take much to push her over the edge.

He inserted a second finger.

"Oh gods!" she cried. The pressure increased tenfold.

He sped up his movements even more.

A few seconds later, the pressure exploded and Nefer-Tina was propelled to a new level of rapture as she cried out.

Ja-Kal stopped massaging, but did not release his hold on her. He did not say anything as she just lay there, breathing heavily.

_Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods..._ She could not believe what had just happened to her. It was incredible. What had he done to her? Would the rest of the lovemaking feel so good?

He removed his hands from her and leaned forward so that he was able to see her face.

"Are you all right?" he asked her.

She opened her eyes. "Oh, Ja-Kal... I had no idea..."

"I told you that I‘d never hurt you."

"Thank you. Oh, thank you."

He smiled at her and brought a hand to brush against her vagina, which caused her to suck in her breath and shudder with pleasure. "That was only the beginning."

"I'm ready," she told him.

He leaned forward even further and captured her lips in an overdue kiss.

She reached up and brought her arms around his torso. She pulled him closer to her and as his body pressed between her legs, she wrapped them around him.

Ja-Kal was surprised by her new aggressiveness. It was an amazing metamorphosis. Where just moments ago there had been a frightened girl, there was now a woman who was enjoying her first lovemaking experience.

He gasped as she tightened her legs and brought his erection into contact with her lower body. He hadn't realized how close he was to his own first orgasm. Just loving her had pushed his body nearly to its limits. He hoped he could hold on until he was able to enter her.

As she kissed him, Nefer-Tina realized that she was no longer afraid of anything. There had been no pain so far. None at all. And he had touched her... _loved_ her...where she had believed that it would hurt the most. If what he had done so far hadn't hurt her, then nothing probably would.

She would just let herself enjoy this. 

Ja-Kal finally ended the kiss. "We have to finish undressing."

She nodded her agreement.

He pushed back and away from her. He sat down and began to remove his own leg wrappings. It would be faster if he did them himself. She could help him with the rest.

Slowly, Nefer-Tina sat up. Ja-Kal had only been apart from her for a very few seconds and she was missing his touch already. She changed positions so that she was on her knees and crawled over to him.

He had almost finished his first leg when he felt her come up behind him. She snaked her arms around him.

"I love you," she murmured.

He stopped and brought his hands up to place them on her arms. "I love you."

She kissed his back.

He patted her arms. "The sooner you let me finish, the sooner I can get back to loving you."

She kissed him again and then released him. If only she had known how wonderful this would be...

Ja-Kal quickly finished both legs and then returned his attention to her. He took her hands in his once more and, without releasing them, brought them to rest on his waist.

"Help me finish."

She nodded.

Guiding her hands, he helped her locate the edge of the bandage that wrapped his upper body.

She needed no further instruction. Showing a new confidence, she took hold of the bandage and started unwrapping him. 

He raised his arms to make things easier for her.

It was a slow process. He was a very large man and it took her whole body to maneuver each length of bandage around him.

When she had reached his chest, she planted a few kisses before stopping to rest. She leaned heavily against him.

He brought her arms down to encircle her.

"I love you," he said again. These were words he would never tire of saying. He loved the way they sounded to him. But he loved the way she reacted to them even more.

"I love you too," came the muffled reply.

She kissed him a few more times before pushing away from him and getting back to work. But she soon had to stop again. She had reached his neck and doubted that she could uncover his head and face without standing up.

Ja-Kal realized immediately that she would not be able to reach his head. She was so much smaller than he was.

Gently, he pulled her hands away from him and began to unwrap himself.

Nefer-Tina watched lovingly as the face she had only glanced in full a few days ago for the first time in centuries became visible. He was so handsome. 

Again she was amazed by the fact that this was happening. It still seemed so unreal. This handsome, wonderful man was in love with and making love to her. Her-a nothing. A farmer's daughter who had become a royal guardian by a twist of fate. He deserved so much better.

Ja-Kal let the last of his wrappings fall away and moved in to kiss her. He took her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers. He loved her so much.

While he kissed her, he reached down her back until he found the loose bandage that would allow him to finish unwrapping her. He looked forward to at last being granted access to her breasts. He knew some things that she would definitely enjoy being subjected to.

Nefer-Tina felt what he was doing and did not resist. She craved his touch.

As he started to unwrap her, he broke the kiss.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "For everything."

He leaned in and kissed her again. "You deserve it," he responded in the same low voice.

She allowed him to continue removing her bandages without any more interruptions. But, when he reached just beneath her breasts, she became slightly nervous again. Although the fear of pain was long since abandoned, she was now afraid that he would be disappointed with her appearance. He was so perfect and she was...not. 

"What is it?" he asked, sensing her discomfort. He had thought she had moved past her fear. Perhaps he was going too fast for her.

She looked down. "I'm afraid of disappointing you."

"Disappointing me? How?" _This_ was unexpected. Where had such a ridiculous thought come from? It was about as bad as her idea that he would end their friendship over her feelings for him.

She raised her face. "With the way I look. You deserve someone perfect. I'm...not."

"Yes, you are," he informed her. "What makes you think you're not?"

She gave him a look. "You saw my back. It's hideous."

"Do you really think I care about that?" he asked. "I love you for who you are, not for what you look like." He moved around her and positioned himself behind her. He ran a hand over her back. "And these are a part of who you are."

He picked up the hanging length of bandage and resumed unwrapping her. "There's something you need to know," he spoke as he worked. "Something I should have told you the other night."

"What is it?" she asked in a quiet voice, nervousness still gripping her.

"That wasn't the first time I had seen your scars."

"What?!" she breathed incredulously, her concern about her appearance forgotten. "When? H-how?"

He ran a finger over the small part of the scarring that he had so far uncovered. "Two years before I met you, I found a young girl left for dead in an alley. She was unconscious, her body bruised and bleeding. She appeared to have been badly beaten." 

Nefer-Tina began to shake her head. No... This was impossible. It couldn't have been him. It just couldn't!

"I brought her back to my home to help her," he continued, still unwrapping. "She was in such bad shape. I feared I'd lose her before I even got in the door. She had lost so much blood..."

_Oh gods..._

"Once I had her on the bed and had removed her bloody clothes, I was able to assess the damage. Her back was the worst. She had been repeatedly cut with a knife."

_He_ had been the one who had found her. _He_ had been the one to save her life. 

"But that was before I discovered that she had been raped."

"Oh, gods..." she whispered aloud. 

It had been him all along. The one she had never gotten a chance to thank. The one she had never forgotten... 

He kissed her now uncovered shoulder blade. "I was so afraid for her when I found her gone the next morning. I even went looking for her."

"It was always you."

"It took me forever to find her again," he continued, unwinding the last strip from around her neck. When it was off, he allowed it to fall wherever and drew her against him. "And now I'm never letting her go."

"Thank you," she breathed. "Thank you."

He kissed the top of her head. "I love you."

"I love you," she echoed.

He turned her around in his arms. "It's time."

"I'm ready."

He kissed her, gently at first, but with increasing pressure. He started pushing her backward with his body, causing her to arch her back and lean down towards the bed. One hand pressed into her back while the other rested on the mattress, supporting the both of them.

Nefer-Tina allowed him to do whatever he wanted to her. She loved him so much. As long as he was with her, she felt safe.

Soon she was flat on her back, Ja-Kal hovering over her, his mouth still locked with hers.

Her body was filled with wonderful sensations, many of them now familiar to her because of what he had done to her before. She welcomed them, entering into their embrace with open arms. Never before had she felt like this. She did not want it to stop.

Ja-Kal began to allow his mouth to travel over her. He first strayed onto her chin and then the underside of her neck, which he proceeded to lightly suck. She moaned, which only encouraged him to continue.

He moved down her neck and onto her chest. He trailed kisses down until he reached the valley between her breasts. 

"Ja-Kal..." she breathed, her back arching, her chest rising against his mouth.

He smiled against her skin, moving towards her right breast.

She made sounds of pleasure as he began to kiss and suck the very soft and pliable flesh.

He worked his way around the entire breast before taking the nipple into his mouth.

She cried out in surprise and pleasure.

He took his time making love to her breast, suckling and kissing it. Her continuous moaning and murmuring only served to drive him on. The more aroused she became, the more he wanted to continue loving her.

After what he considered was a generous amount of time, he switched to her other breast.

She sucked in her breath as he did so. What he was doing to her... It was so incredible...so wonderful...

As he continued to suck and kiss, his hands slid down her body to her kilt. He wanted to remove it while she was distracted. He didn't want her to have a chance to become nervous again.

He nimbly worked the sash while his mouth stayed latched to her nipple.

Nefer-Tina was unaware of what his hands were doing. All of her attention was drawn to the exquisite sensation that was coming from the nipple that was being held prisoner by his mouth. 

The sash came undone easily and he let it fall away as he immediately unhooked the two fastenings. 

Finally, he released her nipple from his mouth. He looked up at her and saw that her eyes were closed and the expression of contentment on her face sent warmth through him. Her happiness was all that mattered to him.

He stretched out and moved his face back to hers. Her eyes opened just as he drew her into another kiss and then they fell closed again.

While kissing her, he started removing his own kilt. 

His hand brushed against his erection and he felt a slight twinge that was a combination of pain and pleasure. He needed release soon. He had held onto it much longer than he ever had with Tia...

Nefer-Tina was in heaven. This was so wonderful...

He freed himself and then returned all of his concentration to the kiss. He loved this woman so much. All he wanted to do was show her the true meaning of making love.

He used one of his legs to spread hers apart.

Nefer-Tina felt the movement and tried to ignore it. She knew that this was the part that they had been building towards. While she was not afraid anymore, Ja-Kal had told her that there would be pain and that alone was making her nervous.

Ja-Kal sensed the change in her. She knew what was going to happen now. At least she wasn't terrified anymore.

He pulled away from the kiss. "I love you."

"I love you."

He brought a hand through her damp hair. "I'll be as gentle as I can."

"I know," she told him. 

He kissed her again as he lined up his body with hers. When he felt the tip of his penis meet her opening, he slowly pushed into her.

She gasped into his mouth. _Oh gods!_

He could feel how tight she still was. The finger manipulation had only done so much. Penetration would not be easy for her.

He thrust a little more and felt her shudder beneath him.

There was suddenly fire between her legs. It was tight, so tight, and the sensation was so intense that it bordered on the first inkling of pain.

He moved another inch into her and she cried out.

Now the burning was getting worse. She felt herself stretching to her limit. How much more could her body take?

He thrust again.

Pain. She was in pain. He was too big. She couldn't take much more...

"Ja-Kal..."

He pushed more.

"Gods..."

He could hear the tears in her voice. She was hurting. He was hurting her.

"My love," he murmured, kissing her again. There wasn't much more to go. He was nearly embedded inside of her. Just a little more and then her body could adjust.

Another thrust.

_Oh gods,_ she thought, _oh gods._ She hurt so much. How could something that had only moments ago feel so good cause so much pain? 

Just a little more...

_Please stop..._

One last thrust...

She cried out as he succeeded in filling her completely. The force of the impact almost made him come, but still he was able to hold on. It wouldn't be much longer now.

He kissed her again. "It's over. No more pain. I promise."

As he spoke the words, she felt the pain begin to subside. In its place was a feeling of fullness, completeness. It was very different from before. It was wondrous.

He continued to kiss her, giving her body a chance to become used to the intrusion. Already he could feel the walls soften around him.

It felt so good to be inside of her...so right. Inside it was as warm and inviting as the rest of her. He hated the thought of having to separate.

Nefer-Tina felt so good. Now that the pain had abandoned her, she could only feel Ja-Kal. And she never wanted to feel anything else again.

After a few minutes of just being joined, he slowly began to move. His strokes were very gentle. He did not want to push her too far too fast though his own body was crying for immediate release. Her body needed more time to get used to having him inside of it.

Ecstasy. That was the only word that came to Nefer-Tina's mind. Ja-Kal was bringing her pure ecstasy. She hoped it never ended.

Ja-Kal felt her body begin to respond to his own movements. Her pelvis rose to meet his every thrust.

He began to increase the speed of his thrusting. He badly needed release.

Nefer-Tina felt the pressure of before return. It was more intense this time.

By this time, the rising and falling of their bodies had found a rhythm that they were able to sustain as they increased the speed of their movements. They moved faster and faster.

Finally, he could not hold anymore and he exploded into her, the feeling of release the most powerful he had ever experienced.

Nefer-Tina's body was spurred into a shuddering climax of her own. She cried out and clung to him tightly as she rode the intense wave.

Ja-Kal collapsed on top of her, his energy spent. Making love to her had been more incredible than he had ever imagined. She was the perfect partner. He loved her so much. 

Nefer-Tina just laid beneath him, both amazed and exhausted. She could not believe what she had just done. For the first time ever, she had _made love._ And it was every bit as wonderful as Ja-Kal had made it out to be. She could not believe that she had ever been afraid.

Ja-Kal once more started to kiss her. "Are you all right?"

"That was...wonderful," she told him in an awe-filled voice. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You deserved it." He kissed her again. "I'm just sorry it took so long."

"It was worth waiting for you," she informed him. "I love you."

"I love you." And he kissed her again.

He rolled over while still kissing her and brought her with him. He was still joined with her and made no movement to disengage.

He ended the kiss. "What would you like to do now?"

She reached up and caressed his cheek. "It doesn't matter. As long as you're with me."

"I'll never leave you," he promised. "Never." He gave her another small kiss.

"I'm actually pretty tired," she admitted. "I think I just want to go to sleep."

It was a wise decision. Tomorrow would be very long and the outcome was uncertain. They had no idea of where Callisto was holding Presley and Miranda. Finding them could very well be impossible.

"Good idea," he agreed with her. Very reluctantly, he separated from her. He wanted her to sleep without any distraction. He drew her to him, turning her in his arms so that her back was pressed against his front. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her as tightly as possible.

"Good night, my love," he told her, kissing her hair.

"Good night."

 


End file.
